Fitbit: We don't sell personal data

Associated Press

5:53 PM, Aug 22, 2014

This photo from video taken Oct. 9, 2013 shows the wrist of Tim Davis wearing his FitBit, green, and Nike FuelBand, black, devices he uses to track his physical activity and habits, in New Brighton, Pa. Davis uses several apps and three wearable devices to track his physical activity, vitals and calorie intake. (AP Photo/Noel Waghorn)

Noel Waghorn

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ALBANY, N.Y. - Fitbit, the maker of a popular line of wearable fitness-tracking devices, said Friday that it does not sell personal data to advertisers, contrary to concerns raised by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.

The San Francisco-based company spelled out its privacy policy on its website after Schumer warned of a potential "privacy nightmare" relating to concerns that the makers of fitness monitoring devices could sell users' data to advertisers.

Schumer has called for a federal regulation to require companies like Fitbit to let customers prevent their data from being sold. On Friday he praised the company for "revising" its policy, even though Fitbit CEO and co-founder James Park said there's been no change in the company's practices.

"It has always been our policy not to sell user data," Park said in a statement. "We have never sold personal data and we do not share personal data unless a user specifically directs us to do so, or under the limited exceptions described in our privacy policy."

Those exceptions include credit card processing or when the company is under legal obligation to provide the information.

Schumer said there are no federal laws to prevent other companies from sharing personal information from the devices. He called on other manufacturers of wearable devices to follow Fitbit's lead.

Many Americans wear fitness bracelets and monitors or use mobile apps to monitor their activity.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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